Bulletproof
by A'isha Ishtar
Summary: Against the abrasive Maycomb mindset, one young lady is determined to be bulletproof to their ignorance. eventual Boo/OC Arthur/OC whatever you want to call it. Yes, weird pairing, better than it sounds I just suck at summaries
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: I do NOT own To Kill a Mockingbird, that would be Harper Lee. If I owned it, I would have made Boo show up a lot more... not just come up in conversation, actually SHOW UP. XD**

**... Also, because I made up a character specifically to be a love interest for Boo (OK, not all she's there for but still), I am OFFICIALLY the biggest nerd on the planet. ;P**

**I hope you guys enjoy, and please tell me if anything seems out of place! 3 to my wonderful readers.**

_"Do you reckon he's crazy?"_

_Miss Maudie shook her head. "If he's not he should be by now."_

Katrine, known as Kat for short, had recently adopted the last name of Raymond. She was twenty-four years of age, and she considered herself of average beauty - except for one thing. Her body curved and flowed naturally, like any woman's did, but she made sure to cover most of it with the pretty clothes she was given once she arrived at the Raymond household. She had glasses - rather thin frames (at least, when compared to the town lawyer's, they were fairly thin) - that had a tendency of sliding down her nose so that she looked over them instead of through them. She was almost constantly slipping them back up so she could see, since she was nearly blind as a bat without the lenses. She thought she was a fairly normal young woman... but when she looked in the mirror, she was reminded of how different she really was. She was reminded that she could never be truly beautiful.

Her skin was a light cocoa color, reflecting the sun as a shining ray when the two came in contact. Her mother was black, and her father was white; she was half of each. She wasn't wanted anywhere. Nobody would take her... nobody except this saint called Dolphus Raymond. He was married to a black woman, and he had adopted all the half-black half-white children in Maycomb. She had been living on the streets up until a week ago when he had taken her in. Even now, it wasn't a much better existence - not with the people in Maycomb, anyway. It seemed like everywhere she turned, somebody was glaring at her or muttering the "n" word under their breath at her.

Emerald orbs stared back at her behind lenses from the mirror in her new room. This trait just made her all the more odd. Green eyes weren't common in this part of the South. She'd inherited them from her white father, who had once lived in the North. Coupled with her skin and jet black hair, it made her more of a bizarre creature than an actual person. It probably would have been fine if she'd been white, but she wasn't. She wasn't white, and she wasn't black.

She wasn't all that sure _what_ she was.

At the moment all she wore on her body was a pearl brassière and a pair of onyx underwear. Since she wanted to go out today, she decided she had better get dressed and head down to breakfast. Nobody - especially not those racist ones that made up about 85% of Maycomb - would desire to see her in _this_ revealing outfit. And she doubted that her new "father" would be proud to see her coming to the table not wearing a shirt... or a skirt... or pants, or shoes.

She looked through her newly filled closet that Mr. Raymond had given her, and smiled at the things she found. He had just put her clothes into it yesterday. It consisted mostly of long- and short-sleeved blouses and jeans, but there was one beautiful, knee-length dress with no sleeves or straps, that was a color somewhere in between a cross of pink and red. She smiled when she saw that dress. She got so excited, and she could imagine herself just dancing in it. She could see it in her mind: going to a party, standing sadly against the wall, and then being swept off her feet and dancing with some handsome, kind stranger. She closed her eyes and twirled around the room, humming softly. She could see her "prince", and he was so beautiful.

... She wasn't sure, but in her fantasy, he looked white to her.

"Kat!" came Mr. Raymond's shout from the downstairs area. "Are you coming down, hon?"

She glanced at the door. "I'll be there in just a minute, Mr. Raymond!" she called back to him, as loud as she possibly could. "Just finishing my hair!" That was a lie, but she always had been a compulsive liar. Regardless, she wouldn't be more than a minute longer.

"Alright, hurry it up, little one!"

Little one. Kat rolled her eyes as she picked out a pair of dark blue jeans and a seafoam-colored blouse with three-quarter sleeves, that went down to her elbows. "I'm _not_ little," she grumbled, pulling the jeans on. She buttoned them and stretched a bit. She looked around herself at her hips and backside, raising an eyebrow. "Are these tight...? God, already!" She sighed and drew the shirt over her head and flicked her hair out of it. She looked in the mirror, circled a few times, and shook her head. "I'm startin' to get fa-at," she said in a singsong voice, tying her dark hair back into a ponytail, where it was still fairly long. "I gotta work on that... oh, well, down the squeaky steps!"

She walked down the stairs and pushed her hair back as she went into the kitchen. Seated at the table were her eight "siblings" - three boys and five girls, not at all even, suffice to say - and her adoptive parents, Dolphus and Emma Raymond. A little shadow of doubt in the back of her mind wondered why they had adopted _her_ too. After all, they adopted the mixed _children_. She was legally an adult. Twenty-four years old, that was an adult, right? She was a big girl, she should have been on sinking or swimming on her own. _They shouldn't be takin' care of me,_ she thought with a mental sigh as she sat down at her place. _They got 'nough problems with all these little ones here..._

After they prayed and began eating, Kat snuck a look at her new "father". He had his typical brown paper bag with him, and she had to give a snicker in her mind. It was funny, the way all the townspeople thought he was a drunk and that he carried alcohol around in that paper bag. For the Lord's sake, didn't they ever consider that it might just be a bottle of Coke in that bag? Some of the people around here _sure_ were ignorant. Not just some of the time, _most_ of the time.

"So, Kat."

She snapped her head up when she heard her name, and saw that Mr. Raymond was talking to her. "Oh, yessir?"

"First of all, you don't have to call me that. Just call me Mr. Raymond." He forked another bite of pancakes into his mouth and swallowed before speaking again. "Second, did you have any plans for today?"

She shrugged, taking a swig of her orange juice. She opted not to put any syrup on her own pancakes, since it tasted sour after drinking the juice. "Why would I, si - I mean, Mr. Raymond? Not much anywhere I can really go without being called the 'n' word."

He waved a hand. "Well, there's a sort of sock hop thing going on at one of the shop in town. I figured you'd might want to go."

"No, not really." She stabbed her breakfast with her fork and held it in front of her mouth, speaking before she popped it in. "That's not my kind of thing. I like more... traditional balls and things. You know, like... like Cinderella-type parties."

"Oh, I see. So were you just going to hang around the house all day and help Emma with her cleaning?"

"Actually, I _was_ planning on going out. Just... exploring the town. Not that I haven't seen enough of the streets already," she commented, only half-jokingly, as she played with some of the vegetables on her plate. "I've never really gotten to see some of the big, beautiful old houses up close."

"Let's go see Boo Radley's house!" one of her "sisters" piped up in excitement, throwing her hands in the air and bouncing in her seat. Kat had to dig deep to remember, but she gathered that this girl, the small 7-year-old with the brown hair that was braided constantly, was Joetta. "I bet he's there, you know! I'd love to meet him!"

Kat held back a giggle, but then realized she wasn't sure she'd seen the house that Boo Radley lived in. Hmm, come to think of it, she hadn't heard _much_ about Boo Radley. On the streets she heard a few things - things like he had once crept up on Miss Stephanie's window and scared her, like he had once stabbed his father while scrapbooking, like he had been locked up in the courthouse for a number of years when he was younger. But she couldn't verify any of that, and she tended to just forget about things she couldn't verify. "I'd like to see his house, too, you know."

"Why don't you take your sister?" Mr. Raymond finished off his juice. "It'd give you girls a chance for some bonding."

Emma Raymond, his wife and Kat's new "mother", stood up, clearing her plate and silverware. "I think that's a mighty fine idea." She put her hands on her hips and shot a "I'm not going to say this again" look at Kat. "But I don't want the two of you goin' anywhere _near_ the Radleys' house. That Nathan has a _gun_, and he will not hesitate to shoot if he sees somethin' suspicious. I don't want neither of ya comin' home with a hole in ya, either of ya." She nodded her head at Kat. "You are the oldest, I expect you to look after Joey and _do not_ let her talk you into anything dangerous or irresponsible. You got it, Kat?"

Kat shook her head yes, and wiped her mouth. She stood up and patted Joetta on the head. "Now why don't we get a move on, kiddo? Have y'ever seen Miss Stephanie's house? It's a beaut."

Joetta pouted, handing her plate to Kat. "I've seen Miss Steph'nie's house a hundred _billion_ times, Katty! Why can't we go and look at Boo Radley's house? I hear you can see him through the window sometimes if you stand real still and look real close!"

Kat leaned down and got close to Joetta's ear. So that nobody else could hear, she whispered to the girl, "I _ain't_ gonna torture you with Miss Stephanie's house. If you keep quiet about it, I'll take you to the Radleys'. But don't you say no word about it."

Joetta looked like she was about to burst with excitement. But she managed to hold it in, and grinned happily. "Okay!"

Emma raised an eyebrow at Kat. "What did you just say to her?"

"... I said that if we went over to Miss Maudie's, she might have some cake and lemonade for us."

Joetta, playing along, nodded and smiled. "Yum, cake and lemonade!"

Kat smiled innocently and waved as Emma left the room, probably still not trusting her too much.

Mr. Raymond leaned over to her. "You have no intention of going to Maudie's place, do you?"

"... Sho' not."

He sighed and sat back. "Please tell me you ain't goin' to that Radley house, Kat. You know what Emma just told you."

"But Mr. Raymond, it's full of intrigue! How on Earth do you 'spect me to stay away?"

He shook his head. "Just be careful, alright? Don't go in the backyard of that place and don't you dare knock on that door, whatever else you do. You remember what Emma said - Nathan Radley has a gun, and he _will_ shoot. And if I hear talk that you two been botherin' them folks, you girls ain't gonna be leavin' this house for the next _month_."

Kat nodded, taking one last gulp of her juice. "'Course, Mr. Raymond." She patted Joetta on the head. "I'd never do anythin' to put this precious l'il gift in danger."

Joetta giggled, revealing where she'd lost a tooth on the right side. "I'm a gift!"

"That you are." Kat poked the girl's forehead. "You ready to get goin', L'il Bit?"

Joetta stuck out her tongue, leaping up from her place. "Let's go, Katty, c'mon!"


	2. Chapter 2

Kat didn't know the way to the Radleys' house, since she never went there. That wasn't a problem though, because Joetta knew the way rather well. Better than she really should have, actually. Kat wondered why on Earth Shauna knew how to get to the "local ghost's" house. She sure hoped Joetta had never gone there alone - even a child companion would have been better than going by herself.

Kat had to admit, though, she did feel safer that Joetta was coming too. She wasnt certain she wanted to face a creepy old "spook house" all alone. It was odd, to feel more secure with a child than a grown-up - she wouldn't have felt any safer if Mr. Raymond had come with her. But the little girl seemed to know what she was doing when it came to Boo Radley. She had to question why, but she didn't dare voice this query to Joetta. She had a bizarre feeling that she (and Emma, for that matter) would exactly be all too thrilled to know the answer.

Both of them were at the house now. It wasn't really huge, but it wasn't too small. Kat got goosebumps just looking at the place, just _looking_ at it. She wasn't truly surewhy, but just being this close to the house gave her chills. But there was more to it than that. It was like a fatal attraction - even though she was frightened of it, she wanted to get closer. She wanted to discover all of the secrets that the house hid behind its tightly shut doors. It was as if she were a moth, and that house was the brightest flame to ever burn. "Joey..." she started, raising an eyebrow. "We're here just so you can _look_ at the house... right? You ain't doin' nothin' else here?"

Joetta shrugged, tugging on one of her long braids. She had a habit of doing that, especially when she was thinking about something - thinking _hard_. "I wanna see Boo Radley." She pulled on Kat's blouse. "I wanna see 'im, make 'im come out or come to the window! Please, Katty, please?"

Kat sighed and took Joetta's hands off her shirt. Why did the little girl insist on living in a fantasy world? "I can't make nobody do nothin', L'il Bit. What are you, crazy, girl?"

Joetta pouted and stamped her foot, crossing her arms. It was funny, the way she suddenly looked a lot less cute with a scowl on her face. "_I wanna see Boo Radley_!"

"No ya don't, l'il one!"

This voice scared the hell out of the both of them. Both girls jumped about a mile when they heard it. They turned to see where it had come from, and

found themselves looking at an old man. Like them he was black, but his fairly thick beard was gray, and so was what remained of his hair - which, to be honest, wasn't much. He had a slightly crazed look in his chestnut eyes as he looked at them. Unnerved by this man, Kat put her hands on Joetta's shoulders, ready to yank her away if the man tried anything funny. "... And... why not, sir?"

Joetta inched closer to her sister, placing one of her hands over one of Kat's.

"Th' man what lives in there is a demon!" The elderly Negro pointed a bony black finger, shaking with age, up at the house. "Ya girls heard o' Boo Radley, right?"

Joetta had just been about to throw a temper tantrum over _seeing_ Boo Radley. Of course they'd _heard_ of him. "Yeah, we know..." Kat began, but she was quickly cut off.

"Ya heard the rumors, haven't ya?"

"..." Kat pulled Joetta back a ways. "Some of 'em..."

"Well it's all true!" The man let out a cackle, coughing afterward. "He's a right monster, if I ever seen one." He twirled a finger around his ear. "Boo Radley, he's one o' them... one o' them _crazy_ types. Not right in the head. Born 'at way - born a demon! He got eyes, bloodred as burnin' coals. His hair's long, black as night, wild and greasy, never combed or brushed or washed or nothin'. He got teeth, alright, but they're yella as the sun, and they're crooked and all cracked up, some chipped off - that's why he's droolin' constantly. And his nails! - ya w'men, ya get yer nails real long and it looks nice, right? Well, not Boo's! His nails, all long and twisted and jagged - if he ran one across ya skin it'd draw blood! He's pale as moonlight, an' that makes fer a mighty fright'nin' picture behind that black hair o' his." The old man grinned. "And y'know what he eats fer his dinner?"

"I know what _I'd_ eat for dinner," Joetta mumbled, rolling her eyes. "I'd eat veg'ables. Carrots an' potatoes an' green beans-"

"Well Boo don't eat that stuff!" the old man barked, a gleam in his eye. As if he were enjoying sullying Boo's reputation - even if he was telling the truth, it wasn't nice. "Boo eats _squirrels_. He don't e'en cook 'em, he eats the critters _raw_. That's why he always got blood on his hands - didja know, l'il girl, that if ya eat somethin' without cookin' it, you never get the blood off?"

Joetta gave the man a glare, deciding the match wits with him. "I don't believe you, old man! Boo wouldn't got no reason to do that! His family give

him stuff to eat, right? Good stuff, not _squirrels_! Squirrels is harmless, ain't nobody hurt a harmless an'mal!"

"And he eats cats too! Finds 'em out on the street - eats 'em raw, too!"

"Boo wouldn't eat l'il kitty cats! You a lyin' ol' fool!"

"Joey..." Kat pulled the girl back. "Come on, why don't we just go home now?"

"No!" Joetta struggled in the older girl's grip. "Not till we see Boo! I wanna see 'im! I wanna ask 'im if he really does eat harmless squirrels and cute kitty cats!"

"So go ask!" The old man backed up, probably afraid of Joetta - and he had good reason to be, the girl was tough. "He lives in the basement o' that house there! I hope he kills ya both!"

Joetta stopped struggling, and just sat down on the sidewalk.

"And don't you come 'round again!" Kat shouted after the man. "I catch you anywhere near the Radley place anymo' an' I'll tell Sheriff Tate what you been up to!"

When Kat turned back to Joetta, the girl was staring at her with a pleading look; big eyes, pouty lips, hands to her chest, and all. "And what you makin' them faces for?"

"Come on, Kat!" She tugged at Kat's shirt again. "You can't tell me you ain't the _least_ bit curious if all that stuff about Boo is real o' not!"

"I'm curious," Kat admitted, turning around, "but I ain't no busybody. I leave that to Miss Stephanie."

"Miss Stephanie got a big nose, don't she?"

"Big enough fo' pokin' it into other people business when she ain't s'posed to." Kat waved her sister away. "Come on, Joey, don't let that old fool get yo' goat. He just try'na scare you."

"Come on, please!" Joetta pulled at Kat's arm, attempting to drag her back over to the Radleys' house. "I just wanna peek into the basement and see if Boo's there! That's all, that's it! We just sneak 'round back, take a l'il look, and we out befo' anybody knows we was even there! Please, please, _please_!"

Kat exhaled sharply. She knew Joetta, and Joetta wouldn't stop whining until she got her way. She knew she was going to end up regretting this one way or another, but...

"Alright, fine. But _just_ a peek in the basement, and we're outta there. You heard yo' mama an' papa, Mr. Radley got a gun."

**And so Kat is sucked in by Joey's wheedling. XD**

**I loved the crazy old man in this chapter... heehee...**

**Well till next time! Oh by the way I might have forgotten the disclaimer in the first chapter so... I DO NOT own TKAM. Wish I did... because if I did Boo woulda shown up a lot more. :D**

**-Ai-chan ^^**


	3. Chapter 3

Kat wasn't exactly sure what the best plan of action was at the moment. Since Joetta was far beyond restless, though, she didn't have a lot of time to think about it. She considered several options, weighing the pros and cons of each one she could think of. She could go to Miss Stephanie's house while Joetta crept into the Radleys' yard and peeked into the basement. From Miss Stephanie's window, Kat would be able to perfectly see Joetta and everything she did. But if Joetta was about to do something she shouldn't, then Kat wouldn't be able to warn her. If Nathan Radley came out with his gun, there was no way she'd be able to get out there before he started shooting up the yard - possibly hitting Joetta.

That plan was quickly discarded. In need of another idea, Kat's mind cooked up a new one, far scarier. Joetta could creep behind the place and look in the cellar... while Kat went up to the house, knocked on the door, and distracted Nathan Radley with small talk. Pros to that were fairly good. There was little chance of Joetta being seen in the backyard, since Nathan would be busy talking to Kat; probably spending most of the conversation trying to get her to leave his land. And he certainly wouldn't have time to go get his gun, aim, and make a clear shot at Joetta, even if he did hear or see her. Cons? Kat didn't quite have the courage to face Nathan. She wasn't fond of meeting new people with weapons, especially when they lived in creepy, creaky old houses. And besides that, she'd heard he was a mean man with a short fuse.

There wasn't much hope for that idea from the beginning, and now Kat threw away any thought of trying it. Ever. But now Joetta was getting downright antsy, and Kat knew that if she didn't formulate a strategy she could actually apply, the girl would throw a fit right there on the street. Kicking her noggin into overdrive, she thought hard as she was able. Well... the best bet was probably if the both of them just snuck into the backyard together. Granted, it had the highest risks. With both of them, there would be more noise. And if Nathan came out with that rifle, they could both get shot. But Kat knew she couldn't leave Joetta all alone. If she went to Miss Stephanie's or talked to Nathan, Joetta would be by herself. Being alone _that_ close to a basement that possibly housed a madman was _ten_ times worse than being shot. Keeping Joetta safe on this little mission (which she shouldn't even be on in the first place) had to be her first priority. It couldn't take a backseat to seeing Boo.

If anything about seeing Boo posed a real, true threat to Joetta's wellbeing, Kat

should get her out of there soon as possible.

"A'ight, Joey," she said, directing her sister to the little walkway between Miss Stephanie's and the Radleys'. "Here's what we gonna do, okay? We gonna climb that yonder fence and quietly, that the 'mportant part. Then we gonna get in the yard, you gonna creep over to that cellar window, and you gonna sweep yo' face over the glass real fast, look 'round, then come back away. I be waitin' by the fence. You come back, we hope back ovuh, we head to Miss Maudie's. We get some her pound cake an' lemonade, then we go home an' we don't breathe no word o' what happen or what you seen to _nobody_. You get me?"

Joetta blinked up at Kat with those big, bright hazel eyes. "You ain't gonna take a look-see for Boo?"

"No, I most cert'ly _ain't_. You the one who wanna see 'im, ain't you? I don't like this house none."

"So you 'lieve that stuff the crazy man done said 'bout Boo?"

"Didn't say I 'lieved it, Joey. I reckon Boo stays inside 'cause he know what out here's like. But I ain't all too sure, though. S'pose them rumors is true? If I'm lookin' too then I ain't gonna be able t' snatch you back from 'im befo' he try t' hurt you."

Always the optomist, Joetta commented, "Aw, ol' Boo ain't gonna hurt me. He cain't hurt nobody nohow nevuh."

"We ain't sure o' that, Joey. Now c'mon, lemme help y'over the fence."

"Don't need no help." Joetta jumped upward, latching her hands and feet to near perfect places on the fence. She lowered her voice progressively as she went up the chain links. "I know how t' climb. Don't need no help to hop a dang fence, Katty."

"A'ight then, I'm comin' up after you now, Joey." Kat hooked her fingers securely to a couple of the links, and tried hoisting herself up a couple of times, just to be safe. They seemed like they would hold, so she leapt up and placed her feet on two good links. Having never been very good at climbing, she very nearly lost her balance. As she advanced up the fence, she could see Joetta standing patiently on the other side, right up on the fence so as not to be near Nathan Radley's collard patch. (Because Lord _knew_ what the man would do if they should get ruined.) She felt a slight twinge of jealousy holt through her. How was an almost-eight-year-old faster than she was? "Oughta not be right," she mumbled as she reached the top of the fence. She flipped over, just about planting her face in the dirt. Not that there was much difference between the color of the dirt and her face... but it would be noticeable. And if Emma noticed it, she would probably be able to guess what they'd been doing - and Kat would be in a whole _heap_ of trouble. She'd never been in more than a _pile_ of trouble, and a _heap_ was a whole lot bigger than a _pile_.

She didn't particularly want to be in a heap of trouble, and she certainly didn't want to get Joetta in a heap of trouble.

Kat stood up, pushing bangs back from her eyes so she could see. "Okay, Joey, now... d'you see the window that lead to the basement?"

Joetta surveyed the yard for less than five whole seconds, making a visor over her eyes with her hand. She shot an arm out, pointing to a pair of wooden door leading down into the earth. "'S right there, Katty!"

Kat nodded, pressing her backside firmly to the fence. So the Radleys didn't have a proper basement? Looked as if they used a storm cellar as one. She had to give a laugh in her mind. Boo Radley lived in a storm cellar! What a twist, an unexpected little shift. "A'ight, you hurry up an' take as quick a look as you can. I want yo' l'il behind back over here in no less than _one_ minute, girl."

Joetta nodded, her braids flopping. "Yes'm, o' course! Be right back then!" She grinned in her silly little way. "Don't do nothin' 'citin' while I'm gone, Katty!"

As Joetta raced off, Kat shivered just a bit, glancing behind her. "You don't got no reason t' be worryin' 'bout _that_, Joey."

All of a sudden, Kat heard Joetta struggling. "Katty! Katty, help!"

Kat sighed and wondered what Joetta had gotten herself into this time. She turned just in time to see (with a feeling of absolute horror on her face) her sister tumble down the storm cellar doors and into the basement of the Radley house.

**OK... I know there ain't supposed to be any cellars in Maycomb except for Tutti and Frutti Whatever-Their-Last-Name-Is... BUT I AM THE AUTHORESS SO WHAT I SAY GOES! Just bear with me. I started this story, like, two years after I read the book. I just recently read it again and discovered that and I was like "Oh hot damn! I screwed up" but I wasn't about to change it. I think it still works okay. The Radleys are creepy, they'd be the type of folks to have a cellar. AND YES. THIS TAKES PLACE DURING THE BOOK. Don't worry, I won't make any more mistakes guys... I'm sorry one-time thing...**

**Till next time!**

**-Ai-chan ^^**


	4. Chapter 4

All Kat could think, staring at the storm cellar doors in absolute mortification, was, _Oh my dear God, my l'il sistuh just went in the ever-lovin' Radley house._

She wasn't quite sure _what_ she oughta do now. What _could_ she do, after all? She wasn't really much of a person. She was black, she was only twenty-four years old, and she wasn't that big to begin with. How was she going to get Joetta out of that ghost house?

A panicked state gripped her, reigning over her mind without mercy of any sort. She felt like she couldn't move. Every part of her body tensed up with fear, and her breathing quickened. All she could think of was what would happen to Joetta in that house - and what would happen to _her_ once Emma found out. She swallowed, and placed her hands at her sides, hoping she might think of something if she relaxed.

Her hand brushed against something in her jeans pocket. Pulling it out, she found a torn-up, yellow pad of paper and a stub of a pencil. Had Mr. Raymond put them in there for her? At any rate, she decided that since she _was_ able to read and write (more than could be said for most Negroes), she could pen a note to Boo Radley. She was glad her father had stuck around in her life long enough to teach her basic reading and writing skills.

Kat turned to a fairly neat page in the pad and held it against the fence. With the pencil stub, she wrote in shaky penmanship, doing her best.

_Dear Boo Radly,_

_My sister done fell in there. Please don't hurt her. Could you please lift 'er up so I c'n get 'er 'n' then we'll go away?_

_- Kat Raymond_

She felt her heart racing fast and her palms sweating as she looked across the yard. The storm cellar doors were still wide open. She would have to go over there to drop the message down to the basement for Boo. A sudden instance of being a chicken overcame her. She _really_ didn't want to go over there. When she thought about Joetta being frightened and crying, she knew she just had to suck it up. Her sister was in danger, and she had to do something to get her out of that house.

Kat gulped as she tore the page out of the pad. She took a few deep breaths, trying to calm herself a bit. It wouldn't do to show fear in front of a basement where a possible madman lived.

Gathering herself, she took one last breath. She used long, careful strides to stroll over to the cellar doors. She avoided stepping on the patches of collard as she went. She leaned over the door for barely a second, then tossed the note down them. She watched it flutter like an insect into a Venus flytrap, before bolting like lightning back to the fence.

She stood there for several minutes, attempting to distract herself while (hopefully) Boo was reading and answering her message. She glanced about the rest of the area. She could see Miss Stephanie bustling about inside her living room, and wondered if perhaps she were setting up for a party. It sure seemed like the acceptable Stephanie-Crawford thing to do. When she looked past that, on the other side of the street, far down from Miss Stephanie's, was the town lawyer's house. Well, the nice one anyway - the other one, something-or-other Gilmer, was mean. The nicer one... Atticus Finch, wasn't that his name? She knew he had kids but she didn't know their names. Jensen and Scarlet, maybe? It didn't sound right but she wasn't sure _what_ their names were.

She coulda sworn she heard voices coming from the basement as she waited, but she chalked it up to imagination and fear.

When Kat glanced back at the storm cellar, a paper sat innocently by the doors. She ran over and snatched it up. It was her paper, the same one, but now the back was written on.

_Dear Miss Raymond,_

_I dare say your sister was right scared when she fell down here... and so was I! But she's not hurt - she landed on a mattress. But I'm 'fraid I ain't strong enough t' hoist her up. Nathan won't let y'in though... so you're gonna hafta climb down here'n get her._

_- Arthur Radley (Boo)_

The writing was just as shaky as hers, but when he sighed his name, she did feel slightly ashamed. First off, she'd called him Boo - his real name was Arthur, obviously. And second, she'd spelled his last name wrong; there shoulda been an "e" before the "y". Plus, he'd written more than she had.

Kat shoved the note in her pocket and gave a sigh. If she was getting Joetta back, she was going in the damn basement of the Radleys'. And she _was_ getting Joetta back.

She bent down next to the doors. "Mr. Arthur, you there?" she called down.

It was a few seconds before she received any answer from the basement. But finally a weak cry of, "Yes, right here," came up to her. It was male, and she felt her heart sink at how feeble he sounded.

"I'm comin' down now! There somethin' fo' me t' land on?"

"Yes'm, the bed right under you."

"A'ight then, here I come!" Kat sat down on the ground, then dangled her legs down. Still a bit afraid, she took some breaths. "Geronimo!" she shrieked as she pushed herself down.

She let out a shrill screech as she went. She felt herself bounce down, facefirst of course, on a mattress. She quickly sat up and shook her head to clear it. "Oh God..."

Once she got herself collected enough to look around, she surveyed the room. She blinked, as her eyes adjusted to the darkness. It was so dim down here, it was hard to see.

In the far corner was a nightstand with a beat-up looking radio on it. That was all that was in this room except for the bed and a bookshelf that held... well, a lot of books. Sitting on the floor was a man with blonde hair and dark gray eyes. He had Joetta in his lap, and they were both smiling. He had her hands in his, and they were playing some game where he lifted her hands up and then they both laughed.

Kat rubbed her head and got to her feet, groaning. "Uh... Boo?" she said for verification as she took a few wobbly steps toward the pair.

The man turned around, blushed a little, and looked down. "Miss Raymond...?"

"Katty!" Joetta hopped up from the man's lap and ran over. She threw her arms around Kat and hugged her tightly. "Katty, 'm sorry I fell in! I lost m' balan' and all the sudden I was fallin'!" She let go and pointed over at the man, who had stood up by now. "But this 's Boo Radley, and he took right good care o' me!" She giggled. "I think he was more 'fraid of me than I was o' him! He just 'bout yelled bloody murduh when I fell down 'ere."

Kat hugged Joetta back. "Did he now, Joey? I'da thought you were scared o' him, not the other way 'round." She looked up at Boo. "So you're..."

He nodded. "Are... y'okay, Miss Raymond? You took a mighty spill there. Were you hurt when y' fell?"

"Naw... naw, I'm fine." She was a little bit startled. She hadn't ever had anyone refer to her as "Miss" anything before. Well, except for Emma calling her "Miss Attitude" in the mornings. She laughed as Joetta tackled her in a stronger hug now. "Sure hope she didn' run y' ragged, Boo."

"Naw..." He looked down sheepishly, clasping his hands behind his back like he was being scolded. "Miss Joetta wa'n't no trouble 't all, Miss Raymond." When Joetta ran back over and hugged him, he smiled and returned the gesture. "An' even if she'd been she'da been worth it."

Joetta giggled and took Boo's hand. "Boo's real nice, Katty. See, I toldja he wouldn't hurt me none. I ain't _ever_ gonna b'lieve anythin' none them people say 'bout you 'gain, Boo," she added for the reassurance of her newfound friend, squeezing his hand. "Y'don't eat no cats er squirrels, right?"

"Why, nome," he assured her, mocking offense. "Naw... I like bananas, they's good."

"Mmm-hmmm," Joetta agreed soundly, rubbing her tummy.

"A'ight, well." Kat stepped into their conversation now, taking Joetta by her other hand. "Joey, I think we best be goin' now. Y'wanna head t' Miss Maudie's 'n' get s'me pound cake?"

Joetta pouted, inching closer to Boo. "Miss Maudie alway put too much suga in huh cake, Katty. We cain't stay, jus' fo' a l'il bit long'r?"

"Naw, Joey, we cain't," Kat told her, in the best firm-but-fair voice she could muster.

"But we don't got nothin' else t' do!" Joetta protested. "Ain't nowhere else we gotta be!"

"Joey, even bein' in here is breakin' Mr. Raymond's rules. We wasn't s'posed t' try an' get in here - but by God we _here_! We gotta go, Joey."

Joetta's grip on Boo's hand just got tighter as she glared at Kat. "I. Ain't. _Goin'_." She said every word slowly and carefully to make sure that Kat understood her.

"Miss Joetta." Boo's hand came down on top of Joetta's thick braids, and his eyelids drooped a little, making his expression soften. "Yer sister, she's right. If folks find out you was here... wouldn't be good fer you _or_ for Mr. Raymond. I ain't the most reputable comp'ny to be keepin', am I?" He slipped his hand from hers, and fingered her hair. "Go on, go with your sister, Miss Joetta."

Joetta glared at Boo this time, but it was more a defiant pout than an actual wrathful glare. "But I ain't wanna go, Boo!" Tears came to her eyes, and several spilled over. Was she hoping to appeal to his emotions? Kat knew he still wouldn't let her stay. He didn't seem like the kind of man to be moved by crocodile tears. By real tears, maybe, but not fake tears. "We don't gotta be no place else! We can stay fo' a spell but Kat don't wanna!"

Obviously feeling rather bad for her, Boo knelt down to her level. He took her hands in his and looked straight in her eyes. "D'you know that big ol' oak tree, out by the front of the house here?"

Joetta nodded, wiping the false tears from her eyes. "Yessuh, I seen it."

Boo smiled, putting a hand on each of her shoulders. "You come on back to that yonder tree after lunchtime t'morrow, there'll be somethin' in the hole for you."

Her hazel eyes lit up like the reflection of coffee in a mug. "Somethin' from you?"

"Why yes'm. A little somethin' from me t' you."

With that, Joetta flung her arms around Boo and pressed her lips to his neck, grinning from ear to ear. "Okay, Boo! I'll come back!" She whirled around to face Kat and gave her the most menacing look she'd ever seen the little girl give anybody. "We comin' back t'morrow, right, Katty?"

Kat raised an eyebrow. "Well... we come back to th' tree, but... we cain't come back in the house."

"How come?"

"Think 'bout it, Joey. Two days in a row? Mr. Nathan might hear us."

"He don't always hear a lot if we down here," Boo interjected. "But I don't come down here much. This just the gues'room for if fam'ly ever come to town, but they never do. My room in the upstairs - ground level, jus' like Nathan's. Easier for him to hear us... but you come back in two week, at pr'cisely... 'fore noon. Nathan ain't here then... he come at noon for lunch. And Ma's usu'lly sleepin'... an' she a heavy sleeper, she don't wake up for much. You come back in two week 'fore noon, you come t' the back door an' knock real soft, I'll come an' we can be together fer a while and play some game, Miss Joetta."

"Mmm!" Joetta embraced Boo around the waist. "Thank y', Boo! We come back! Right, Katty? We come back, right?"

"... I guess in two week it oughta be okay." Kat grabbed Joetta's hand. "Now c'mon, I gotta lift y' up t' get y'out."

Joetta looked back at Boo, giving him one last longing glance. "... Bye-bye, Boo."

He gave her a smile and a wave toward the cellar doors. "Bye-bye, Miss Joetta. I see you in two week. Now y' best be gettin' along and do as your sister tell you."

Joetta pouted, as if hoping that might convince him to let her stay, but then sighed. "Okay, Boo. I see you in two week then. Bye-bye."

"Bye-bye, Miss Joetta." He waved at her.

"Here we go then." Kat took Joetta around the waist and lifted her up in the air. Joetta grabbed onto the ground and pulled herself up.

"I'm up, Katty! Can you get up by yo'self?"

"Yeah, Boo'll help me." Kat turned to Boo, and noticed how he was dressed. A slightly torn white shirt and black pants. Not exactly how she would have pictured him, but not exactly dressed up either. She could see short, sparse stubble on his chin and cheeks, a little bit, and the beginnings of a mustache above his lip. One of the odd things she noticed was that he didn't wear any shoes. "Uh, Boo..."

"Yes, Miss Raymond?"

"Well, um... I... ah..." She rubbed the back of her head, wondering why she'd suddenly gone tongue-tied. "D'ya like t' be called Boo or Arthur?"

He shrugged. "Doesn't matter to me. But Miss Joetta calls me Boo, so I reckon you oughta, so as not t' confuse her."

"A'ight then..." She walked closer to him, and held out her hand. When he hesitantly took it, she smiled and moved her arm. "Thanks fo' keeping her safe an' all."

"Sure as anythin' I wouldn't hurt her. Little kids ain't do nothin' wrong to d'serve bein' hurt."

"Still..."

"Was y'afraid of me?"

Kat blinked. "Well... t' be hones', I was a l'il. Y'know how rumors spread in Maycom', don't ya?"

"Like chicken pox, right?"

"Somethin' like 'at, I reckon. Well anyway, Boo... thanks fo' lookin' after Joey. We'll be back in two week then, I s'pose."

"I'll be lookin' forward to it."

Kat climbed up on the bed, reached upward, and looked down when she realized she wasn't tall enough. "Can y' help me up jus' a l'il, Boo? I reckon I ain't tall 'nough t' get all the way up by m'self."

"I'll do what I can, Miss Raymond... but I ain't got much strength. I don't reckon I can lift y' too far." He placed his hands at her hips, then slid them up a bit. "This ain't bein' too... I mean... I ain't makin' you uncomf'table, am I, Miss Raymond?"

"Naw, I'm perf'ly comf'table, Boo. You ain't doin' nothin' wrong." She stretched for the ground above, but it was just out of her reach. "Okay, can y' git me up jus' a bit?"

"Yes'm, right quick." She felt him lift her, and she barely went up. "Ah, sorry, Miss Raymond... I toldja, I ain't got much strength."

"'S okay, Boo. I reckon I can jump up 'n' make it from here."

"That good, then."

She looked down. "Um... Boo?"

"Yes'm?"

"You can let go now. I'ma jump up."

"Oh... oh!" She felt his hands slip from her waist. "I'm mighty sorry 'bout that, Miss Raymond. I didn't re'lize I was still..."

"'S a'ight, Boo, I was jus' tellin' ya."

"I know... but it still ain't right t' be havin' yer hands on a lady that way..."

"Aw, I know y'ain't mean nothin' by it, Boo." She reached up and took as big a jump as she could. She managed to grab onto the ground and try to pull herself up. Joetta helped her, taking her hands.

Once Kat had gotten herself up, she sat on her knees. "Ain't we goin', Katty? Huh?" Joetta asked, tapping Kat on the shoulder.

"Yeah, yeah, hold on jus' one sec, okay, Joey?" She ducked her head down into the cellar. "Hey Boo?"

He glanced up at her, surprised. "Yes'm?"

"Y'can call me Kat, an' Joetta Joey, that's what ev'ryone else does."

"Oh... well alright. See y' in two week... Miss Kat, Miss Joey."


End file.
